BOY, TRAGIC
by WindowPain
Summary: Chapter three is here and please r&r it's the only way i'll be able to pay for Jamie's hospital bills! LOL.
1. Default Chapter

The first Sign. 

  
  


The day was warm. The April sun had risen, spreading its bursting rays across the city's landscape as it slowly settled in the sky. Skylarks, Robins and Magpies filled the mid morning air with harmonious song as men and women alike went about their business in the city of Kingsport. On Luster St. An aged woman pushed along her cart of soda cans, water bottles and the like, While on Windsor Rd. a group of Hispanic construction workers, mixed concrete for the new Kingsport shopping district. In a restaurant window, just on the corner of Range and Turner St. there sits a jovial group of five, Alex, Hank, Tyler, Val and finally Brooke of the Kingsport EMT station.

  
  


"So anyway like I was trying to say, " Brooke said slowly casting a mock annoyed look to the group of laughter stifling people before her. "As we all 'now' know . . . today is Jamie's Birthday and I wanted to make sure everyone knows their part in his surprise party." "Now Alex, you were in charge of getting the cake I pre-ordered at . . . "

  
  


"Brooke, it's okay everything is gonna' be fine. We all did our jobs to make this work and even if someone did forget something, I doubt it will matter very much to Jaime, so just take it easy, relax, "Alex interrupted looking kindly at the over precise fourteen-year-old.

  
  


"You're right. But I just want this to be perfect and I don't want anything to give away the surprise."

  
  


"I wouldn't worry about that Brooke, I don't think Jamie has a clue." Hank said looking through the fingerprint-smudged restaurant, window pane. 

  
  


Three eyes turned their line of sight to where Hank was staring. Out the window, in the parking lot sat the EMV (Emergency Medical Vehicle) and next to it working laboriously was Jamie Waite, man of the hour. Wax can placed within easy reach on the hood next to his diligent frame Jaime scrubbed the rig tell it gleamed and was now applying the requested second coat. Everyone who was on the team, excluding Alex and Brooke, had to do this unwanted job. Today it just happened to be Jamie's turn.

"Yeah Jamie probably thinks that even if we do know about his birthday we don't care." Val added.

  
  


"You can tell he's a little mad, by the way he's cleaning the rig." Tyler announced, quickly moving his hands across their table in an exaggerating mimic of Jamie's rough movement's. 

  
  


The group erupted small laughs and snickers as they watched the antics.

  
  


"It's good that he's taking his anger out at the EMV, " Hank said as everyone turned with surprised confusion to him. "I'm mean, better it then me." Laughter erupted again as the joke was taken and the conversation continued.

  
  
  
  


Jamie looked up from where he was working at his waxing job. Some things would never change. Somehow he was always going to be an outcast. It was obvious. He thought to himself watching his four co-workers and his boss burst into laughter over their meal. Even though he couldn't hear them, he could tell he was the topic of conversation. But then again he was used to being the subject of negative attention. Most of it was usually brought on by himself and he usually deserved it, but lately he'd been on his best behavior and besides they were supposed to be his friends. 

"Jamie, come on this is childish, just because they forgot your birthday doesn't mean they're against you all of a sudden." He told himself. 

Jamie smiled slightly, great now he was talking to himself. Well having consoled his previous feelings as much as possible, things were looking a bit brighter then before. They probably weren't even talking about him, besides, he doubted they even knew when his birthday was. The only person he could ever remember telling was Cattie. But didn't Cattie tell 'super squad' Val everything? Then Val of course would tell 'super squad' Tyler and he would tell Hank and Hank would tell Alex and Alex would tell Brooke and, oh well it didn't matter. It was just another birthday. It's not like it was any more special then the ones before or the ones to come. 

  
  


The presents he'd gotten so far were from his grandparents. He'd lived with them ever since his mom had left him and his brother Peter when he was eleven and Peter sixteen. He'd never known his dad and he didn't really know very much about him except that he was famous and was an expert sweet talker. Peter moved away a year after they came to live with their grandparents. Jaime hadn't talked to his brother since. He didn't even know where he was, for all Jaime knew he could be dead, or he could be a millionaire. Jaime knew it wasn't his fault that his mother left, she was . . . well, she just wasn't exactly the mother type, but somehow it had always seemed that Peter blamed Jamie for their mother leaving. 

  
  


Suddenly Jaime stopped this line of memorandum and realized that he'd ceased working and was leaning against the now shining side of the rig. Well now was a good enough time to take a break, he decided. Enough reminiscing. Moving over to the radio\cd player he had brought along, Jaime pressed a button and the Linkin Park cd that was in the deck began play. Cranking up the volume he turned over to the donuts and coffee that Brooke had brought out to him. See that was nice. Maybe he got this all wrong, maybe the reason they were being so offish was because they had something up their sleeves. That had to be it. They were planning something. A party maybe? Nah. That couldn't be it. Although it was true that he had gotten pretty close to his co-workers at the EMT station he didn't think they knew even knew when his birthday was at least it was highly unlikely. 

  
  


Jamie put down his half-finished donut and began again to polish the rig. As he was about to begin buffing again, he felt a tickle under his nose, quickly, he raised his hand to brush away the sensation but his hand was suddenly covered in blood. "Crap," Jamie said as he quickly pinched his nose tightly. Dropping his rag he ran through the donut shop entrance to find the restrooms.

  
  


Val looked up from her mocha and caught Jamie's running form as he rushed through the entrance to the bathrooms in the back. Tyler watching her followed her gaze to the now empty corridor.

  
  


"Watcha' looking at?"He asked.

  
  


"Jaime just ran through here to the bathroom."

  
  


"Well, when you gotta' go, you gotta go," Hank added to the conversation.

  
  


Val rose as he said this and said, "No, you don't understand his hand was bleeding."

  
  


Everyone was listening now. Alex got up from his seat and ran in the direction that Val had seen Jaime, Tyler, Hank Val and Brooke following close behind.

  
  


Alex rushed into the men's bathroom. He raised his hand in a 'stay put' gesture at Jamie's anxious friends and went in. As he entered, he heard the unmistakable sound of retching coming from one of the stalls. Following the sound and the drops of blood that had fallen to the floor he found Jamie huddled tensely over a toilet seat in one of the last stalls. He put his hand on the small of Jamie's back as Jaime vomited. The copper smell of blood mixed with the thick aroma of vomit. Alex realized now, that Jaime's nose was bleeding and not his hand. After a few minutes' Jaime's body relaxed and his retching stopped. He leaned back into the waiting arms of his boss. Alex reached up and pulled some toilet paper from a dispenser, pinching the bridge of Jamie's nose and stemming the blood flow. He looked down at the young man trembling in his arm's. Blood dotted the front of Jamie's EMT uniform and his face. His eyes were shut but after awhile slowly they began to open. Jamie sat up hesitatingly, taking the tissue paper from Alex's hand into his own and with his free hand he flushed the toilet.

"Alex, I-I'm sorry about that."

  
  


"It's not your fault James."

  
  


"I guess I have the flu, and all this dry weather has caused me to have a lot of bloody noses."

  
  


"Your' sure that's all this is?" 

  
  


"Yes, I'm sure. Don't you think I know my own body?"

  
  


"Hey don't get so upset, I'm only trying to help here," Alex said noticing Jamie's agitation.

  
  


"Well. The bleeding's stopped," Jamie said rising from the stall to get to the sinks. After cleaning himself up a bit, Jamie headed to the door when Alex stopped him.

  
  


"Why don't you take the day off, get some rest? I'll drive you home." 

"Sure. I think I'll walk but thanks anyway, "Jamie said, opening the door only to find the faces of the 'super squad' staring him down. He quickly sidestepped them and rushed out of their view. Turning their eyes from Jamie's retreating figure, they looked questioningly at Alex who stood in the restroom doorway. Alex sighed.

  
  



	2. ...And the bomb drops

...And the bomb drops

  
  


Three days passed, Jamie returned to work and school. Going on like nothing had ever happened. Of course the surprise party was canceled because Jamie never showed up and no one had the heart to trick him into showing. Soon enough things began to become normal again birthdays' were forgotten schedules were followed and everyone receded into there own lives and their own problems, worrying little about anything but the small things. Everyone that is except James Waite who found his 'flu' didn't seem to want to go away it just got progressively worse as the days wore on. The littlest things bothered him and his nosebleeds continued but mostly a night. He knew that something was wrong with him but he was almost afraid to find out what it was so he didn't complain and he tried to act as normal as possible. 

  
  


Thursday morning Jamie arrived at work still feeling nauseous and weak from another sleepless night. Val greeted him at the door and began chatting annoyingly about how Cattie Roth was coming back from her trip to France tomorrow and how it was just in time for both of them to get ready for the spring dance that was coming up. Jaime tried hard to tune out her excited mile a minute words but he was failing miserably.

  
  


"...I saw this really cute Blue dress at the Saks outlet store, at the mall and well you probably don't care but I thought . . . " 

  
  


"Your' right I don't care, so why don't you find someone who does and talk their ears off," Jamie cut in his recently rampant temper catching up with him.

  
  


"Jamie, I'm sorry its just-I didn't think you'd . . . "

  
  


"That's right, you didn't think," Jamie said again cutting into Val's apology.

  
  


"Okay, I don't know what your problem is but it isn't me and if you think that I'm just going to hang around here and be your personal punching bag; you're dead wrong James Waite," Jamie didn't reply but instead began to walk away. Val Linear was going to let him run off like that without figuring just exactly what was bothering him so she caught up with him and began to match his stride.

  
  


"Jamie, what is with you lately? And don't even think that we haven't noticed cause we have."

  
  


"Leave me, alone Val," he said, turning a corner to get ahead of her but Val wasn't about to let him get away that easily. She grabbed his forearm and swiftly pulled him back causing Jamie to hiss in pain. 

  
  


"What's wrong? Jamie, I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you but-I hardly touched you, wait let me see your' arm," before Jamie could protest, Val took his wrist in one hand and with the other she pulled up his shirt sleeve. Molted and bruised skin met her eyes she couldn't believe what she was seeing. 

  
  


"Jamie, who did this to you?"she demanded her eyes meeting his.

  
  


Jamie answered her every previous trace of venom erased from his voice. "No one Val, it just happened."

  
  


"Yeah right Jamie like I'm supposed to believe that. Who are you protecting?"

  
  


"Believe it. I'm not protecting anyone " 

  
  


"Then how do you explain these bruises?"

  
  


"Val no one is abusing me! I live with my fifty and sixty-year-old grandparent's for crap's sake," 

  
  


"But the bruises . . . "

  
  


"I don't know how I got them I guess I've just been bruising easily, okay? Now if you'll excuse me, my 'abused' self is going to go help Tyler, pack up the rig," and with that Jamie left a very confused Valerie Linear in the empty hall leading to the garage. 

  
  


That afternoon in McDonald's on 117 Welting St. Val Linear sat with Hank Beecham conversing in what could almost be called hushed tones.

  
  


"Hank, I just don't understand why Jamie is acting like he is," Val lamented as she took a sip from Biggie size lemonade.

  
  


"Well besides the bruises and the obvious agitation about normal things what else have you noticed? "

  
  


"I don't know-wait, I did see Jamie after our argument and he was leaning against the wall struggling to catch his breath. I tried to see if he was all right, but he walked away before I could do anything."

"I'm very good at my job but I don't know everything. I do know something's wrong with Jamie and that it's more then just a 'flu' like he keeps saying, " Hank said before taking a bite from his Big Mac. 

  
  


"Yeah, but he'll never see a doctor if we asked."

  
  


"Yeah . . . But what if we don't ask him?" Hank said slowly.

  
  


Val saw wheels turning in Hank's mind and quickly asked, "What are you proposing?"

"Well my dad's a doctor and. . . "

  
  


"Hank that's great idea! Your' dad doesn't even have to act like a doctor. All he has to do is listen to the changes we've seen in Jamie apply them to his own observations and maybe ask a few harmless but incitefull questions. Hank Beecham, You are a bona fide genius!" 

  
  


"Maybe, but the hard part will be getting my dad to go along with this."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Friday evening about five thirty. Jamie Waite walked up the front steps to Hank Beecham's two story colonial, not sure if he really wanted to do this after all. Earlier that morning Hank had asked him to dinner at his house and at that time Jamie thought it would be a great change from the tv dinners he usually ate. But he wasn't feeling very hungry now. Just when he thought he would just go home, the front door opened and Hank stood in the doorway.

  
  


"Hey, Jamie! Glad you could make it."

  
  


"Yeah, me too. Say your not telepathic are you? You answered the door before I rang."

  
  


"Naw. I saw you through the window. Come on in dinner's almost ready."

"Thanks," Jamie said as he entered the house. A sweet aroma filled his senses and it made Jamie stop. His grandmother used to cook like this but there just wasn't time or money anymore. Hank saw him pause and said,

  
  


"Good ole' fashion cookin' makes you hungry huh? "

  
  


Jamie didn't answer but followed Hank into the dinning room where around a very large Victorian table sat; Alex, Tyler, Val, Cattie, Brooke and two older African-Americans who he supposed were Hank's parents. Jamie did a double take he hadn't known that everyone would be here. This just made everything more complicated, inwardly he told himself to definitely not screw up on this one. 

  
  


"Come in, sit down and make you self comfortable James." Harrison Beecham said with an amiable smile, as Jamie sat down at the table. The before wonderful aroma now turned ugly as Jamie stared at the pile of food arranged neatly in the center of the table. Jamie took very little as everyone else dug in and did not notice that everyone's eyes were centered on him. He didn't notice that Harrison's Beecham's face grew grave every time Jamie looked away. No one knew that Dr. Harrison Beecham had mostly figured out what was really wrong with Jamie Waite and Dr. Beecham knew that no one at that table would leave the same, if he told them what it was.

  
  


The evening past mostly without incident and now the jovial group sat around the Beecham hearth chatting about everything and nothing in between. The conversation was light and that was making it all that much harder for Harrison to say what he had to. Finally he decided on a different approach to his original idea and quietly asked Jamie to follow him into his office. Everyone hated to see Jamie go, especially this was the first time in days they had seen Jamie laugh, smile and joke around like old times but they acknowledged that Dr. Beecham would probably have the answer to Jamie's distress. Only Harrison Beecham knew that it could only get worse from here. 

  
  


"Welcome James," Harrison said sitting down, and motioning for Jamie to do the same. "How are you feeling tonight?"

  
  


"Okay, Mr. Beecham," Jamie said innocently.

  
  


"Good, that's good. How have you been feeling lately?"

  
  


Suddenly Jamie understood what he really meant, anger rose into his throat. "Did they put you up to this sir? Because If they did I'm outta' here and you can tell everyone of them that. . ."

  
  


"Whoa, sit down here son, please, sit down," Harrison Beecham said standing up and putting a firm but gentle hand on Jamie's shoulder. Jamie blew out a breath and sat down ruthlessly.

  
  


"Now your friends are worried about you and they have a right to be."

Jamie looked up slowly and met the older man's eyes. In them he saw a truth that he didn't care to face.

  
  


"I'm a doctor Jamie, and have heard a lot from your friends about their concern for your health and everything that I've heard or witnessed, propels me to one conclusion, You have a dangerous and devastating illness in your body that I'm for sure. Now . . ."

  
  


"Just spit it out Doctor. What's wrong with me?"

  
  


"Well of course I don't have medical tests to back me up, but from hearing your symptoms weakness, vomiting, shortness of breath, irritability, nosebleeds, easy bruising and tell me, have you had any headaches or joint pain?" 

  
  


Jamie now sat at rigid attention and nodded his head as the list grew. Bells began to ring inside his head as he answered Dr. Beecham's last two questions. "Yes, I've had both."

  
  


Harrison sighed. He hated doing this but from what he'd gathered from their conversation Jamie sickness was in full swing. "Jamie, I can't exactly say until we have some tests run but as far as I can tell, I believe you are suffering from, Leukemia."

  
  


If Jamie was standing he would have fallen but since he was sitting, even though tried not to, all he could was cry.

  
  
  
  


A tense hour past after Jamie left to Hank's father's study. Every once in a while someone would try to break the silence with some insignificant rambling, finally Harriet Beecham came in from where she had begun to work in the kitchen and said;

  
  


"I don't know about you folks but that fireplace can get mighty boring after a while, why don't you come on in here and give me a hand in the kitchen," six people almost jumped out of there chairs simultaneously, and Harriet smiled quietly to herself.

  
  


Jamie lost all track of time as Harry explained the cause of Leukemia and began to try and ease the blow that had been served to the young man..

  
  


" I can't tell you everything about this illness Jamie, I don't know exactly what type of leukemia you seem to be suffering from. You will get a lot more questions answered after a visit to an Oncologist who will run some tests to pinpoint your illness. I can only tell what 'I' know about leukemia. Now you told me that you've had headaches, well that tells me that you may have leukemic cells in your brain. Sometimes if that happens the sufferer will have to not just take chemotherapy but also radiation. The joint pains, tells me you may have some in your joint's and Jamie I'm sorry to say but that is not good. How long have you had these symptoms James?"

  
  


"I-I don't remember, I can't remember."

  
  


"It's important for you to remember, because the longer these symptoms go untreated the faster they spread."

  
  


"Uh, maybe a month, or so, I don't remember."

  
  


"Jamie I think it will be best if you and I went to a Oncologist I know tomorrow. The sooner we get you medical attention the better. "

  
  


"Okay," Jamie said solemnly.

  
  


"The Oncologist's name Dr. Jacob Taylor, he is one of the best Oncologist in the field and he will take good care of you. Jamie if you want tomorrow before we go, I can explain this to your parents. . ."

  
  


"Grandparents."

  
  


"Okay, grandparents. Is that all right with you?"

  
  
  
  


"Sure," Jamie said his voice flat and his eyes unreadable.

  
  


"James there's one more thing. Do you want to tell your friends tonight, because they're going to want some answers."

  
  


"No, not tonight, tell them that you don't exactly know what I'm suffering from."

  
  


"James. . ."

  
  


"Please Dr. Beecham, I don't need their pity."

  
  


"Okay James, I won't tell them then."


	3. verification-the start of a long journey...

Diagnosis 

  
  


The next morning Jamie awoke to the sounds of his grandmother mulling about in the kitchen most likely starting breakfast. He turned his gaze to his alarm clock and read 7:30. Jamie rose quickly out of bed and went into the bathroom. Dr. Beecham had agreed to swing by at 8:00 so that he would have plenty of time to discuss Jamie's situation to his grandparents before their appointment. Jamie pulled off the clothes that he had worn yesterday and grabbed the ones that his grandmother had laid out for him, a black NOFX tee and some khaki's. Walking from his bathroom back into his room, he stopped at his full length mirror and stared at his body. He was couple pounds lighter then a few months ago and he had a lot more bruises then he was used too but other then that it seemed to Jamie that he hadn't changed that much. He did look bit more tired then usual but it was early in the morning and that could happen to anybody he decided. Jaime was beginning to think that maybe this wasn't what Hank's dad thought it was and he was going to be fine but in Jamie's heart he knew that whatever was wrong with him was no small thing.

  
  


Finishing dressing Jamie walked into the kitchen and saw his grandmother putting bagels in the toaster. He moved over to the refrigerator and pulled out some milk for the cereal that his grandmother had set out. 

  
  


"Morning Grandma," Jamie said softly, sitting down and pouring milk into his bowl.

"Good morning, sweetheart." she said coming over and kissing him on the crown of his head.

  
  


"Is grandpa up yet?" 

  
  


"He's getting ready."

  
  


Jamie had told them last night about what had happened and surprisingly they had held up a good face at the devastating news, but Jamie knew it was only for his benefit. As much as they tried to hide how scared and devastated they really were, Jamie saw the truth in their eyes.

"You're looking ravishing today grandma," He said behind a soft smile. 

  
  


"Oh stop it, and eat your breakfast," she returned chuckling at her grandson.

  
  


"How's everyone this morning?" Ed Waite, Jamie's grandfather, said coming into the room.

  
  


"Good." Jamie said smiling at his grandfather.

  
  


"That's what I wanna' hear. Rosa, what time is it?"

  
  


"Ten to eight," she said setting a bowl of cereal and a bagel at her husbands customary place at the table.

  
  


"Ten minutes to eat huh? Oh well, at least I'll get some exercise. James aren't you gonna' eat?"

  
  


"I'm not very hungry," He said. His grandparents exchanged worried looks. 

Not missing the exchange he added, "had a lot to eat last night I'm still full."

  
  


His words were met with silence as his grandmother sat down to join them.

"Jamie when exactly is Mr. Beecham supposed to be here?"

  
  


Just then the doorbell sounded.

  
  


"Uh, now?" Was Jamie's surprised answer as he rose from the table following his grandparents lead. 

  
  
  
  


It was silent in the car as Harrison Beecham drove to the Kingsport cancer clinic. Jamie sat with his head resting against the window he couldn't stop thinking about the earlier discussion at his home. He knew that things were going to be different after today but he couldn't imagine what 'different' meant. It was odd he thought to himself, that he was so comfortable going to the clinic with Harry Beecham, a man he had only met less then 24 hours ago. Harry knew what needed to be done and made sure that it got done. Jamie was comfortable with Harry. Jamie supposed that with everything going on he needed a stable person. Odd as it was Jamie required Hank Beecham's father's companionship.

  
  


An hour later Jamie sat in the office of Dr. Jacob Taylor Oncologist, feeling very tired and wanting very badly for this all to be only a bad dream. He's mind was filled with images of horror from the waiting room he had just come from. Full to the brink with cancer patients young and old and they're saddened family members standing close by, so close in fact it seemed as if they were afraid that their loved one might slip away right there in front of them. The woman Jamie had sat next to was sleeping, but when Jamie first laid eyes on her small frame he could have sworn he was staring at a corpse. Her skin was grey and molted her eyes sunken and her lips dry and cracked stood out painfully from her hairless head. Even though Jamie knew this was a cancer clinic the picture of her and others like her, herded in the small room like it was somehow normal, made his head swim. He had just begun to contemplate an escape to the elevator when they were suddenly ushered away into the doctor's office where he was now seated directly across from Harrison Beecham who almost seemed bored. After sitting there for about ten minutes Dr. Taylor made his grand entrance coming over and shaking Dr. Beecham's hand as he stood. He was a tall man in his late thirty's his hair graying slightly at the temple's, with a very amiable smile. After greeting Dr. Beecham he went around his desk pulled out a file and sat down. 

  
  
  
  


"You must be Mr. Waite, sorry that I kept you waiting. It's been a busy day," He smiled as he said this and Jamie was amazed at his elated demeanor. 

  
  


"Uhhg.."Jaime cleared his throat, finding it difficult to speak after so much silence. "Yeah that's okay," Somehow it didn't seem as though Dr. Taylor was really listening his smile receded into a face of study as looked into the file before him.

  
  


"Now Jamie, I want to run some tests before we do anything, I need to verify what Harry has ventured even with your very implicating symptoms,"He glanced at Jamie as he said this.

  
  


"Okay, but I'm still a little confused about why you think I might have Leukemia," 

  
  


"You mean you'd like to know what exactly leukemia's is, and what causes it?"

Jamie was shocked and mortified all at the same time this man seemed to have no real understanding of what Jamie was going through emotionally.

  
  


"Uh, yeah, I guess so,"Jamie said very confused.

  
  


"Okie, dokie. Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. But it usually only affects the leukocytes or what is known as the white blood cells. White blood cells, as all cells do, develop from stem cells in the bone marrow and are produced to help destroy infective organisms and foreign substances," He paused, looking at Jamie to make sure that he was understanding the complicated jargon so far. Satisfied he continued. 

"Leukemia happens when the process of maturation from stem cell to white blood cell goes awry and produces a cancerous change. Now this change causes the cells to multiply without restraint. Ultimately these cancerous cells occupy the bone marrow replacing the cells that normally produce blood cells. These cancer cells may also invade other organs of the body such as the liver, spleen, kidney, lymph nodes and the brain. Do you understand?"

  
  


Jamie nodded his head slowly. This man knew nothing of tact.

  
  


"Okay good. Now, no one really knows what the cause of Leukemia is, but I can tell you that with chemotherapy treatments leukemia in general is rated a highly curable form of cancer. Of course there are a lot of types of leukemia and everyone of them takes different to each treatment. We are not as of yet sure which type you have so I can't give any exact numbers here. That's one of the reasons why we need to have some tests run."

  
  


"What kind of tests?" Jamie asked looking more then slightly overwhelmed.

  
  


"I want to determine your total blood cell count with something that is called a leukocytometer this won't take long and it will help us determine that you do have this disease. We would then like to preform a bone marrow examination where we will, after applying a local anesthetic will insert a needle in your hip bone and retrieve a bone marrow sample. This will help us determine what type of leukemia we are dealing with okay?" 

  
  


Jamie blinked and was silent for a moment before asking,"You want to do this today?"

  
  


"Yes in fact I was planning on doing this right after were done here, the sooner the better."

  
  


Jamie nodded again.

  
  


"Great. Now if you could just fill out these forms we can get this show on the road," The doctor smiled and handed Jamie a pile of papers and left. To Jamie's mind it felt as if the doctor had put him off as if he'd come in on the complaint of an infected hangnail. This was not going to be an enjoyable day. 

  
  


Down on Saint Anne st. inside a little red brick house Jamie's grandparents sat in their living room trying to digest the recent struggle that had come into their lives.

  
  


"Edgar, we don't have enough money in our budget for those medical bills that Dr. Beecham warned us about,." Rosa Waite said her usually jovial personality now belittled with worry. 

  
  


"Well Rosa we could ask for help from some of ours and Jamie's friends," ed replied trying desperately to make the best out of the situation. 

  
  


"You know that Jamie would never want do that Edgar," Rosa knowingly said. 

  
  


"Rosa if it's the only way I'm sure he would go along with it," He replied becoming testy as his idea was shot down. 

  
  


"There are other ways. We could sell the old car," Seeing her husbands frustration she tried to calm him down by putting a softer tone to her words but it was hard enough to keep calm herself.

  
  


"No one in their right mind would buy that beaten up old thing and you know it."

  
  


"Well we could. . . oh well, you know that Jamie doesn't like charity," her little equilibrium failing as she halfheartedly defended her last idea. 

  
  


"Charity may be all we have, unless we. . ." A sudden answer to there problems sprung into his head but it was a last lifeline and he knew it.

  
  


"Unless we what?" Rosa asked impatient at her husbands silence.

  
  


"Joel Easton," After the words hit the air a silence filled the room

  
  


"Do we really want to put Jamie through that?" Rosa Waite asked after a few moments.

  
  


"Do we have a choice? Besides we were going to have to tell Jamie soon anyway."

  
  


"He picked a great month to call now didn't he," Rosa said sarcastically.

  
  


"He has the money and he wants to have what Beth stole from him." Ed said anger suddenly seizing him as he thought about his irresponsible daughter.

  
  


"Our daughter didn't steal anything From Joel, she just thought. . ." Rosa defended trying to her preserve the memory of her daughter. 

  
  


"She thought about herself she didn't care about Jamie or Peter. Now Joel is a good man and he wants his chance to be the father Jamie never knew."

  
  


"Yes I know, Joel left a number where we could reach him," Rosa replied realizing the truth in Edgar's statement. 

  
  


"Well then I believe it's only right that we a least talk to him and tell about his son."Edgar said with kind determination. 

  
  


"Well I suppose we could talk to him," Rosa said worry creeping back into her voice. Her daughter had never held much responsibility, much to her and her husbands disappointment. She only hoped that the man she had chosen to marry so long ago wasn't the same.

  
  
  
  


Jamie lay as still as possible but it was, disconcerting not to be able to feel part of the lower half of his body. The doctor had told him that they had covered him up pretty well, so that could still have some dignity. The only thing was Jamie couldn't feel the sterilized hospital sheets covering his butt and that wasn't very comforting. 

  
  


"Okay Jamie I'm going to insert the needle now."

  
  


Jamie cringed imperceptibly at the thought of the ten inch needle plunging into his hip. "Thanks for letting me know, doc," Jamie thought he felt a slight prick as the needle went in even with the insurance of the doctor that he wouldn't feel anything. Maybe it was psychological.

  
  


"Alright Jamie it's halfway there. Now I want you to know that the anesthetic only penetrates so deep when I get to your bone you might feel the extraction a little."

  
  


"Okay," Jamie said trying not to think about the procedure in progress. Suddenly Jamie felt his hip with all new awareness as the needle plunged farther down. Fire ripped through his leg and he had the urge to cry out but instead he bit down on his tongue hard. With each passing second as the needle was pushed deeper, it became harder for Jamie not to scream. His body tensed and he could taste the copper red of blood in his mouth from where he was bitting his tongue. Suddenly the pain eased slightly as the doctor stopped his menstruations.

  
  


Dr. Jacob Taylor felt Jamie tense as the needle pierced through flesh to the hip bone. Slowly he stopped his progress and asked, "Jamie if you put your pain level on a scale of one to ten, ten being extreme pain, what number would you say you were?"

  
  


Jamie let go of his tongue, his breath coming out short and ragged. "Ten," he said. 

  
  


"Jamie, I'm at the outer layer of your bone right now, this will only take a few moments and even though it will hurt like heck I need to get this sample, all right? Are you going to be okay to continue? "

  
  


Jamie nodded and said, "Can I have a stick or something to bite on before you do anything?"

  
  


"Certainly, here you go," he said placing, a tongue depressor in Jamie's mouth. "Now hold real still," He said as the painful plunge began again.

  
  
  
  
  
  


One hour later in the Waite residence. 

  
  


Ed Waite picked the ringing phone and answered with, "Hello Waite residence, Who is calling?"

  
  


"Mr. Waite This is Mr. Beecham." Edgar was silent as he felt his chest tighten in fear. 

  
  


"Oh, Mr. Beecham. How is James."

  
  


"I'm sorry, the tests have come back positive, Jamie has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia."

  
  


"Oh, dear lord." Edgar said bringing his hand to his temple his fears now stood with newly found fact. 

  
  


"Now thankfully the leukemia that he has contracted has a very high cure rate with chemotherapy." Harry said trying to bring a little hope to a hard diagnosis. 

  
  


"Can I talk to him?" Ed tried not to sound too upset.

  
  


"Well he's sleeping right now and he probably won't be home for a while we want to start those treatments right away. There are still a lot of decisions to be made. I'll stay with James through the night and I think it would be wise if you and your wife came by tomorrow morning."

  
  


"Of course we will. Does Jamie need anything?" 

  
  


"Just your support. Oh and, does Jamie have any living parents?"

  
  


"His father, and we are working on that one right now."

  
  


"Okay I've got to go, I'll have Jamie call as soon as he's rested."

  
  


"Okay, goodbye," The phone clicked and Ed put down the receiver. Rosa who had been listening in on the other phone began to silently cry.

  
  
  
  


The Kingsport EMT station sat in silence as two of it's occupants sat studying for a test that was coming up when the doors burst open and in came Cattie Roth interrupting the calm atmosphere with her swift movements.

  
  


"Hey, Val! You won't believe who I saw today," Cattie Roth said sitting down beside her long time friend. Her obvious excitement quickly rubbed off on Val Linear and Val smiled with the prospect of a guessing game. 

  
  


"Jamie?"

  
  


"No. I was in an intersection and I noticed this really nice car next to mine and guess who was driving!" Cattie's words came out fast and with a happy squeak to them. 

  
  


"I have no idea, Who?" Val knew that Cattie was dying to tell her and she wasn't going to hold her back. 

  
  


"JOEL EASTON!!!"

  
  


"You're kidding me?" Val asked unbelieving that her friend had actually seen the famous actor.

  
  


"I don't think she is. He's on tv right now." Tyler who had been eavesdropping said from the lounge area. 

  
  


Quickly both girls rushed in front of the screen, where a local reporter was standing in front of a taco bell and a banner scrolled across the screen with the words Star Sighting. 

  
  


"Turn it up." They said in unison as Tyler complied.

  
  


". . .People reported seeing the actor enter this local Taco Bell where apparently he meet up with some family members who have been long time residents of Kingsport. Now it's not clear why he is here exactly and his party has asked that their names be withheld for personal reasons. Again Joel Easton is sitting at this corner Taco bell with unknown Kingsport family Members. For those few out there who don't know who Joel Easton is you might recognize him from some of the big hit box office movies that have come out through the years. Such as Stringwire, The Gambler, Pliers and many, many, more. The forty one year old has won three Oscars and. . . " Suddenly the tv went out with a flicker.

  
  


Both girls turned on Tyler exclaiming, "Hey," 

  
  


"I didn't do it, I promise," He said innocently looking as shocked as they were. Quickly the girls went to the plug but found it securely in place, after that they tried slapping the tv set's side a couple of times but to no avail. Floundered they stared bemused at each other.

  
  


Suddenly the television came back on but now the screen held local traffic.

  
  


From the far back of the EMT station Alex yelled, "Is that overhead on now Tyler?" three pairs of eyes looked up at the ceilings blackened flourescent light that had been having a lot of problems lately.

.

Tyler yelled back to him, "No."

  
  


The three youths smiled at each other. Suddenly everything was covered in a blanket of darkness as every light and electronic in the station went out. A voice yelled from the back, "How 'bout now?"

  
  


Laughter was his only answer. 

  
  


Joel Easton couldn't believe his ears. His first son Peter had found him a couple of years earlier and told him of the son that he'd never known. After that he had begun searching to find James Edgar Waite. His search had come up dry when James grandparents had moved to an unknown address and he had thought his search was over. But just a month ago he'd gone to see his wife who had after many years called him up. She had been dying from major internal injuries due to a car wreck that had happened days before she called him. After begging for repentance in which he had given her she told him where he could find his son. Now two weeks later he was crushed finding out that his son had been recently diagnosed with leukemia. Joel sat and listened as Ed Waite Jamie's grandfather finished telling him what they knew about James's cancer.

  
  


". . .and that's all we know for now." he said saddened that he did not know more.

  
  


"I don't know what to say. I mean I've searched for so long. . .I, I just never thought it would be like this. I never expected this." Joel said bringing his hand up and brushing it through his hair.

  
  


"It was a shock to us too," Rosa consoled.

  
  


"How long has he been sick?"

  
  


"A month or so were not exactly sure," Ed replied eager to tell Joel as much as they knew.

"Only that long?" Joel asked thinking that his summons may come have either a little to late or a little to early. 

  
  


"Believe it our not he only found out yesterday as did we."

  
  


"Is that why you called me back? So that I could be with him?"

  
  


"Well yes and no. I'm going to be completely honest with you. See our budget. . .well, uhm. . .we don't have enough money to pay off the medical bills that will be coming and. . ." Ed said hesitatingly finding it difficult to say the words when it all came down to it.

  
  


"Medical bills, what? You only called me down here for my money?!" Joel asked unbelieving that even his own relatives would come to him only for the reason of his wealth. 

  
  


"Don't take it the wrong way Joel, we wanted Jamie to know his father. We were gonna' tell him about your call today but then after the news, well we didn't know what else to do. We did it out of our desperation for Jamie," Rosa replied slowly easing Jamie's father's anger.

"I can't believe that you would do that." Joel said angry at the situation that the two had put him in. 

"I know our reasons for getting you here weren't exactly commendable, but you have to understand why we did it." Rosa soothed.

  
  


Minutes passed before Joel answered contemplating their position. "As much as I don't like what you've done I do understand where your coming from, I've been there before myself. I understand that sometimes you have to do things you wouldn't normally do in order to survive your hardship," The table's occupants nodded in silent agreement to Joel's statement. "Now if it's alright with you I think that I would like to hear a little bit about my 18 year old son."

  
  


"Of course you would. Now where to begin?"

  
  


A pain deeper then the skin. . .

  
  


Jamie lay in his bed the feeling of a needle scraping samples from his bone marrow still fresh in his mind..The thought made Jamie shudder. His anesthesiologist told him that the anesthetic she had administered hadn't penetrated his the hip area correctly and that was one of the reasons that the procedure had been so painful. Somehow that information wasn't very consoling. A knock at Jaime's open door shook him from his reverie. He turned his head at the sound and found the face of a middle aged woman standing in the entrance. She was wearing a teal uniform with three different pens and a I.D. tag hanging haphazardly from her left shirt pocket clothing that was becoming more and more familiar to Jamie.

  
  


"Uh, hi," Jamie said dubiously.

  
  


"Hello," she said smiling as she entered the room and stood beside him. "I'm Gloria and your going to be seeing lot of me while you're here. I will probably be the one to administer your chemotherapy."

  
  


"Oh." Jamie was becoming used to the fact that it was going to be a while before he would be able to actually get some well needed sleep. He rubbed his eyes and sat up preparing himself for the next bundle of information that was surly going to be thrown at him. 

  
  


"Now I'm sure you have a ton of questions and that's why I'm here, to help you understand every aspect of the drugs that you will be taking. Now I don't want to overwhelm you but it's very important that you hear about your chemotherapy. If you want me to, I can come back in another hour?"

  
  


"No that's fine. I'd appreciate if you could tell me everything now and uh, Gloria don't sugar coat it," Jamie knew that if he didn't hear this now he probably would never want to; and so calmly he accepted the recent intrusion, outwardly prepared and inwardly a mess of confusion. 

  
  


"All right. Now I assume that most of your questions about your cancer have been answered?" She asked politely and with a caring smile. 

  
  


"Yeah most of them." Jamie answered at least she was nicer and seemed to actually care for his well being.

  
  


"Good. Now I know that these past few days have been trying with all the tests the physical exam, bone marrow samples but it's very important that you know about the treatment you have chosen to receive."

  
  


"I understand." Jamie said nodding.

  
  


"Chemotherapy is an anti-cancer therapy. It's usually a mix consisting of two or more drugs. Now each drug has there own job for treating your cancer. All those drugs together will hopefully produce a cure. I want you to understand that this doesn't always happen. But even if a cancer isn't cured by the chem. in most cases it does improve the quality and length of life. Now, a cure is defined as a complete remission, in which all evidence of your cancer disappears. After a remission there is a time period of five to ten year's in which it is possible for your cancer to return. Luckily for you, you seem to have contracted a highly curable form of leukemia and that means you have a better chance for a complete response with chem. treatments. Jamie are understanding this so far?"

  
  


"Mhm."Jamie said with another nod. Speaking seemed to much to handle at this point in time. 

  
  


"That's good and feel free to ask me any questions you may have as we go along, okay?"

  
  


"Okay." He said trying to calm his accumulating emotions.

  
  


"All right. Now a perfect anti-cancer drug would destroy cancer cells without harming normal cells, unfortunately no such drug exists. The drugs that we will most likely use on you, will entirely ravage your body before it kills the disease that would kill you in about four to six months without chemotherapy," She let herself some time breath as this fact sunk in, and watched as he unconsciously clenched the bed sheet in his fists. "The side affects to the drugs we will be using will not be fun. Two of the most unwanted side affects for the patient are nausea and vomiting. After that there is low blood cell count in which the patient can have problems do to a decrease of the normal amount of blood cells. Lastly there will be hair loss, Jamie are you getting all this?"

  
  


"Yeah it's just a little fast. . . for me. . . I - I don't know." Jamie answered his voice breaking.

  
  


"That's okay, I understand that you are overwhelmed."she said putting a warm hand on his clenched fist.

  
  


"This is really serious isn't it? I- I could die." As Jamie uttered the last word he felt as if somehow he had betrayed his body in some way.

  
  


"Yes Jamie this is a serious disease, but the chances of you dying are very slim. You may not want to hear this right now but considering the usual outcome with more advanced deviations of this disease, you have it lucky." Gloria reassured him. This was always what she considered the hardest part of her job and it was hard to keep her strength so that her patients could keep theirs.

  
  


"It's just so confusing, I don't know what to do or where to start. I feel so helpless." Jamie said the truth coming out easier then he expected. 

  
  


"It's okay James, That's understandable. Why don't you ask me any questions you have right now and I'll try to make it as clear as possible." Gloria said knowing that this information went down the best when it was said all at one time.

  
  


"Okay, " Jamie said pulling in a breath and shutting his eyes before answering her question. 

  
  


"How do you-I take my chemotherapy?" Jamie didn't understand why but he somehow felt embarrassed asking questions. It was as if he felt he should already know the answers.

  
  


"Chemotherapy can be administered by mouth in the form of pills or intravenously which in plain terms means injection into a vein, artery or muscle." She said looking straight into his eyes.

  
  


"Uh doctor Taylor mentioned something called access?" Her non-condemning attitude easing his apprehension. 

  
  


"Access refers to any connection into your bloodstream. Access is needed to obtain blood samples from you to administer medicines, fluids and blood. The types of access include peripheral access which is basically an IV, central access such as Groshong or Hickman catheter, central line, ports and finally infusion pumps. Now I'm sure you have no idea what a lot of this is and don't worry because I'm going to explain it all. Now you will have an IV which will allow access to your bloodstream it's important that we have that because some of the drugs you will most likely take are not available in pill form. The Groshong and Hickman catheters are tubes that enter the body near the heart they are placed by a surgeon under local or general anesthesia. With these..."

  
  


"They are going to have to preform heart surgery?" Jamie asked with concern edging his voice.

  
  


"No, No, Jamie these lines are placed near the heart but not in the heart. If you chose to use a catheter for the administration of your chem. you can be given medicines, fluids and blood without discomfort and a catheter can be used for weeks to months. Although with a catheter there are risks and disadvantages such as infection or malfunction of the catheter and the cosmetic disadvantage. You would basically have to learn to live with a long tube sticking from your chest for some months.

  
  


"Oh." He said not very joyous at the thought.

  
  


"Now the good news is that there is another option and that is what we call a port. A venous access port would most likely be preferable because they are easier to use and maintain and the are completely under the skin and thus cosmetically you would have a lot less problems with them."

  
  


"Can, can you tell me the rest of this later? I'm kinda tired," Jamie said dropping his head back on his pillow and starring at the ceiling.

  
  


"I could Jamie but your already feeling the affects of your cancer that means that your cancer is already in a late stage of progression. The longer you wait to treat it the more it grows and the more your chance for a cure is decreased." She watched as his face contorted in annoyance. 

  
  


"Fine, I'm listening," Jamie said frustration dripping from his answer. He closed his eyes and let the rest of the afternoon whittle away his equilibrium. 


End file.
